The White House announced
today that it will initiate an interagency review on the future management and
use of U.S. space launch bases and ranges. The review was called for in a
memorandum from the President's Science and Technology Advisor, Dr. Neal
Lane, and the President's National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger to the
Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and the Administrator of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Office of Science and
Technology Policy and the National Security Council will chair the
review.

Our civil and
national security interests depend on access to space, said Neal Lane,
the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. We must
ensure that our management, modernization, and operational policies keep our
U.S. launch industry competitive in an expanding global market. In
keeping with our investments in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV)
program and in reusable launch vehicle technology, this step will advance U.S.
space transportation capabilities for the future."

The review will assess
civil, commercial, and national security roles and responsibilities for
operations, maintenance, improvement, and modernization at the space launch
bases and ranges. The formal review will begin in April and produce
interim recommendations as input for development of the FY 2001
budget.

FACT
SHEET

White House Initiates
Review on Space Launch Ranges

The President's 1994
National Space Transportation Policy states that Assuring reliable and
affordable access to space through U.S. space transportation capabilities is a
fundamental goal of the U.S. space program. Clear and appropriate
roles and responsibilities of the government and the private sector, including
management and operation of the U.S. space launch bases are critical to the
ability of all four U.S. space sectorsmilitary, intelligence, civil, and
commercialto access space. Over the past few years, commercial
sector launch activities have begun to outpace government activities at the
U.S. space launch bases and their supporting ranges at Vandenberg Air Force
Base, California, and Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida. Based on
industry projections, this trend will continue, with the majority of launches
per year being commercial.

The main objective of the
review will be to assess the implications of this trend and develop appropriate
policy recommendations on the future management and use of the launch bases and
ranges. The review will assess civil, commercial, and national security
roles and responsibilities for operations, maintenance, improvement, and
modernization at the space launch bases and ranges. The Office of Science
and Technology Policy and National Security Council will co-chair the review
with the first interagency meeting to take place in April. The
interagency working group will consist of representatives of the Departments of
Defense, Commerce, Transportation, and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and other agencies as appropriate. The formal review will
produce interim recommendations as input for development of the FY 2001
budget.